3 Apan Jewellers' owners get bail

Three owners of Apan Jewellers have got bail in three separate cases filed in connection with money laundering.

The three owners are Dildar Ahmed, Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed. Dildar will not be released as two more cases were filed against him. 

A High Court bench of justice M Enayetur Rahim and justice Shahidul Karim passed the order after hearing a rule.

Speaking to Prothom Alo, defence lawyer A M Amin Uddin said of five cases, Gulzar Ahmed and Azad Ahmed get bail in two separate cases. There is no bar to their release. 

On 22 November, the HC issued a rule following a bail petition by three owners of Apan Jewellers in five separate cases. The court in the rule wanted to know why they will not be granted bail. After hearing the rule on Wednesday and Thursday, the court disposed of three cases and granted them bail.

Lawyer M Amin Uddin, Sheikh Fazle Noor Taposh and Md Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury stood for the petitioners while attorney general Mahbubey Alam and deputy attorney general Farhad Ahmed stood for the state.

The name of Apan Jewellers came to the limelight after the alleged rape of two private university students in the capital's Banani area. Five, including Apan Jewellers' owner Dildar Ahmed's son Shafat Ahmed, were accused in the incident. Other accused are Nayeem Ashraf, Sadman Sakif, Shafat's driver Billal and his bodyguard Abul Kalam Azad.

As an attempt was allegedly taken to suppress the rape incident by spending huge amounts of money, customs intelligence officials started to investigate the sources of money. On different charges, five cases were lodged against three owners of Apan Jewellers.